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In 1936, through the Tobacco Marketing and Levy Act, the Tobacco Marketing Board was formed resulting in the selling of tobacco through the Auction Floors and, later, Contract floors (from 2004).
1994 saw the Board reconstituted to cater for the interests of all classes of different types of tobacco growers (Virginia, Burley, Oriental and Dark-Air Cured), buyers and other stakeholders. In the same year, indigenous buyers started participating for the first time in competition with traditional buyers.
The Tobacco Marketing and Levy (Amendment) Act of 1997 saw the Tobacco Marketing Board being renamed to the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board. The amended Act also brought about a change in the collection of levies, which are now paid to the Ministry of Agriculture instead of recognized Growers' and Buyers' Associations.

All tobacco growers are reminded that the Tobacco Moth and Tobacco Beetle is a notifiable pest, listed in the first schedule of the Plant Pest and Diseases (Plant and Alternative Hosts) Order 1976. The Tobacco Marketing and Levy Act (Chapter 18.20 Section 75) empowers TIMB to prevent movement of infested tobacco, to order fumigation at the owner's expense and even to order complete destruction.

Topping is generally a process of removing the budding part of the tobacco plant which will, if not removed, flower and produce seeds.
It must begin as soon as the uppermost reapable leaf is of such a size that it will not be damaged by the topping operation.

Apart from aiming to achieve chemical integrityof the leaf (i.e. reduction in pesticide residues, correct concentrations of nicotine, minimizing tobacco-specific nitrosamines, etc.), it is also important to achieve physical integrity of the leaf.

Zimbabwean tobacco is regarded as having one of the best smoking and flavour qualities hence it is well sought-after by major tobacco markets thereby making us the third biggest exporter in the world and the largest producer of tobacco in Africa.